Hunan's first deep brain stimulation remote control center has been established, allowing Parkinson's patients to receive remote medical treatment at home.

People's Daily Online, Changsha, December 4th: Brain pacemaker implants can effectively improve tremors, stiffness, and motor function in Parkinson's patients. However, adjusting parameters requires patients to make multiple trips to the hospital, which is laborious and time-consuming. With the development of remote programmable control technology, patients can remotely control the device online without having to visit the hospital, without leaving their homes, and adjust the device to the optimal setting.

On December 4, Hunan's first deep brain stimulation remote control center was established in Hunan Brain Hospital (Hunan Second People's Hospital). Through a time-travel device that matches the brain pacemaker, the time-travel device is connected to the TV in the patient's home. The TV display screen of the remote control center is then connected to the TV display screen in the patient's home via video, and the voltage, frequency, pulse width and other parameters of the patient's brain pacemaker can be adjusted.

Mr. Yin, a 62-year-old from Shaoyang, began experiencing tremors in his hands and feet eight years ago and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. "At first, the medication was effective, but as time went on and the dosage increased, the effect became less and less effective. Eventually, my entire body felt stiff," Mr. Yin explained. In June 2018, Mr. Yin underwent brain pacemaker implantation surgery with funding from the Parkinson's Disease Care Project. After the pacemaker was installed, his symptoms were better controlled.

“However, after a pacemaker is implanted, a professional physician must tailor stimulation parameters, such as voltage, frequency, and pulse width, to the patient's specific condition to achieve the desired therapeutic effect. Director Huang Hongxing explained that due to the unique nature of Parkinson's disease, pacemaker adjustments require the patient's family to accompany them, resulting in significant financial and emotional burdens, especially for patients living in remote areas.

On the morning of December 4, Liu Bo, deputy chief physician of neurosurgery at Hunan Brain Hospital, had a video communication with Mr. Yin at home on the display screen diagnosis and treatment interface of the remote control center, observed his body's reaction, and adjusted the brain pacemaker. The debugging was completed in just 10 minutes.

“As an important part of the implementation of the Healthy China strategy, the hospital must give full play to its advantages in information, talent, and resources in the professional field of health and continuously improve its services. Through the introduction of Internet means, the entire medical process can improve efficiency and patient experience through an online + offline collaborative model to better serve patients. "Hu Zhaohui, deputy director of Hunan Brain Hospital, said that the hospital insists on carrying out various activities such as expert lectures, patient exchanges, on-site free clinics every year to popularize knowledge on Parkinson's disease prevention and treatment. At the same time, the hospital also took the lead in establishing the Hunan Epilepsy and Parkinson's Disease Alliance and the Hunan Parkinson's Prevention and Care Association to provide Parkinson's patients with timely, effective, and safe health consultation, preventive intervention, diagnosis and treatment services, and rehabilitation treatment as one of the comprehensive medical services.

According to statistics, the incidence of Parkinson's disease in people over 65 is approximately 1.7%, making it a major killer among middle-aged and elderly people. Huang Hongxing, Director of the Department of Neurosurgery at Hunan Provincial Brain Hospital, explained that the hospital currently utilizes pacemaker implantation, also known as deep brain stimulation. This technique involves implanting electrodes in specific brain nuclei and delivering electrical stimulation to suppress Parkinson's symptoms, such as tremors and rigidity, thereby improving patients' quality of life. This technology is currently the most advanced neuromodulation technology in the world. To date, the hospital has reportedly performed over 300 pacemaker surgeries.

This article is reproduced from: People's Daily